Tuesday, June 02, 2009

The Time has Come...

I have been counting down the years, months, weeks and days for four years. Four years until I would go bonkers on the train to Crazy Town.

We got the oldest commissioned on a Friday and graduated from college on a Saturday. He is now a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Artillery division.

I was on the verge of tears the entire week of the event. Anything would cause them to start pouring. I don't even watch TLC's Jon and Kate plus 8 but I cried for them. I made the mistake of seeing the movie "Earth" that week. The daddy polar bear scene had me boo-hooing into my popcorn.

We all loaded into the car that day, preparing to make the hour long drive to the college campus. As the hubby drove, I thought of my eldest child and all the different people he had been as he grew and changed.

You see, when I think of Chris, I think of the different personalities he was at different ages. He was my always happy baby, despite chronic ear infections. I would take him in for a "well baby" check up, only to learn he had a horrific ear infection.

I remember the giggly two year old watching t.v. with me one night. Coors beer had a song and slogan that went "its the right beer now". Something about that made Chris giggle and he started singing, "Its the wight beer now!!" over and over, making he and I both hysterical with laughter.

I remember the little boy who dressed up as a Ninja Turtle almost daily so he could battle the evil Shredder.

I remember the elementary student who read more than 300 books to make the "Diamond Reading Club." He wanted to read the most but some girl (who obviously had no life) read over a thousand.

I remember the 16 year old, frustrated and on the verge of tears, as he tried to drive a stick shift for the first time. I made him take his shoes off so he could feel the clutch better (and it worked!) and we drove back and forth at the empty high school parking lot until he got it.

I have had him home now for one week. He is a man now and preparing to head off into a very bright future. Although I wish I could still have all my chicks under one roof, we will always have moments. Like yesterday, we all four (hubby was out of town on business) went to pick up my car at the dealership and then planned to go to dinner. We parked the "loaner" car and all traipsed into the showroom. I turned around and there they were, all three in line, from littlest to biggest, like a line of ducklings, following their momma. Me.